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DESTINATION GUIDE · 2026 / 2027 PLANNING

Study in
France.

Studying in France is easier to organise when you separate three decisions: the institution’s admission process, the scholarship’s selection process and the consular process. Études en France is important for many applicants, but it is not the route for every nationality, residence situation or programme. Start with the official routing guidance, then build your own calendar around the institution and your local Campus France office.

Source review · 2026-10-169 practical steps8 directory opportunities
Plan with an expert
Main planning intake

Autumn entry, often around September; course calendars vary.

Application route

Études en France, direct institutional application or another designated route depending on your situation.

Important distinction

An Eiffel nomination is made by a French institution, not directly by the student.

01 / TIMING WITH CONTEXT

Know the windows.
Plan the work before them.

These dates do different jobs. A typical window helps you plan; only the applicable official call sets your deadline.

Typical / route-specific

October–December before entry

A common period for opening institutional and Campus France planning. The DAP route has its own deadline; other routes differ.

Confirmed route-specific dates

2027/28 DAP planning

Official Campus France guidance gives 1 October 2026 opening and 15 December 2026 closing for the relevant DAP process. Check eligibility and your local office.

Confirmed provider deadline

Eiffel 2027

Campus France lists 8 January 2027 as the institutional submission deadline. Universities set earlier internal nomination deadlines.

Typical, not universal

Winter–spring before entry

Many master’s selections and university award processes occur in this period; use the course’s actual calendar.

Individual route

After admission

Complete the applicable pre-consular steps, visa appointment, housing and arrival formalities.

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02 / BUILD YOUR SHORTLIST

Universities to explore.

Examples for your research—not rankings, partner institutions or a guarantee that every course is funded.

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03 / FOLLOW THE RIGHT FUNDING ROUTE

More than one way
to fund your studies.

01

France Excellence Eiffel

Living and associated support under the award rules; do not assume Eiffel itself pays all tuition.

Your next action: Ask a French institution about nomination. Its internal deadline is earlier than the Campus France deadline.

Check the official source ↗
02

Émile Boutmy Scholarship

Sciences Po tuition support for eligible international entrants.

Your next action: Read nationality, fee-status and admission-route restrictions before indicating scholarship interest.

Check the official source ↗
03

Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarships

Master’s study support under the institution’s selection process.

Your next action: Check whether invitation or programme nomination is required after admission.

Check the official source ↗
04

ENS International Selection and Ampère Excellence

Institution-specific excellence funding with different subjects and selection routes.

Your next action: Do not treat the ENS Paris and ENS de Lyon schemes as one competition.

Check the official source ↗
05

Embassy and regional / institutional calls

Country-specific France Excellence awards and local mobility support may be available.

Your next action: Check your home-country Campus France office and the host institution. Nationality and programme restrictions are decisive.

Check the official source ↗
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04 / PREPARE THE EVIDENCE

The budget.
The documents. The details.

Tuition

Use the programme’s fee schedule and your applicable fee category. Public status alone does not establish your final bill or exemption.

Financial evidence

France-Visas states that student applications from 1 August 2026 require proof corresponding to at least €877.50 per month. Recheck the visa wizard and any applicable special conditions.

Living costs

Prepare a city-specific rent and living-cost budget, plus deposit, travel, insurance and required student-life charges where applicable. A visa minimum is not a complete personal budget.

Your starting document checklist

Use this to organise the file; the provider’s current requirements determine the final list.

  • Passport and consistent legal name across your records.
  • Degree or school-leaving certificate, full transcripts and grading scale; provisional evidence only where accepted.
  • Programme-specific proof of language ability, including any approved waiver in writing.
  • Academic CV, tailored statement and references where requested.
  • Funding evidence and a personal budget kept separate from the admission documents.
  • The documents requested by your particular Études en France / direct admission route.
  • A nomination-ready file for Eiffel or another institution-led award; do not submit to Campus France as if you were the nominating university.
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05 / FROM SHORTLIST TO ARRIVAL

One clear step
at a time.

Use the checklist to keep your own place. These are preparation milestones, not a substitute for official approval.

01

Identify the correct application route

Start with your nationality, country of residence, previous qualification and intended study level. Use Campus France’s routing information rather than assuming that every international student follows the same process. An applicant in a country covered by Études en France may have a different route from someone applying outside that system.

Make a route card containing the admissions platform, your local Campus France office, the university contact and any pre-consular stage. Do not submit duplicate dossiers simply because two platforms appear in a search result. When the instructions conflict, ask the official institution which route applies to your exact situation and keep its response.

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02

Choose programmes with credible academic fit

Compare the actual curriculum, language, entry qualification and progression route. Distinguish a general university master’s from a specialist school programme or professional qualification. Record the degree title exactly as the provider describes it.

For each shortlisted programme, write three reasons it fits your preparation and one uncertainty to resolve. These could concern prerequisite subjects, the recognition of your previous degree, a required portfolio or language evidence. A strong application is specific about what you can contribute and what the programme will teach you; it does not rely on praise for France or a university ranking alone.

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03

Separate scholarship deadlines from admission dates

Create a funding row for each named award, including who submits it and whether an admission offer or nomination is needed first. For Eiffel, contact the prospective French institution early: students do not make the institutional submission directly.

The 2027 Eiffel provider deadline is 8 January 2027, but that is not a safe personal writing deadline. Your university needs time to select candidates and prepare nominations. Record its internal cut-off and any separate admission application. For embassy or regional schemes, confirm nationality and residence restrictions. Treat an old award page as a clue to research, not proof that the next round is open.

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04

Prepare documents and a coherent motivation

Gather certificates, transcripts, accepted translations, a CV and the language evidence requested by the course. Keep your names, dates and qualification titles consistent across the institutional file and any Campus France dossier. A neat translation cannot repair a missing original document.

Draft your motivation around academic preparation, the particular programme and your next professional or research step. Use real examples and check provider rules on outside writing assistance. For a research route, make your proposed question and the potential host’s expertise visible. Ask referees early and provide a short factual brief, not a reference written in someone else’s name.

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05

Complete the institutional / Campus France dossier

Enter accurate academic history and review the final application before submission. Follow the correct payment and document-verification instructions through official channels. Where an interview or further Campus France review is part of the route, prepare to explain the consistency of your study plan and financing.

Save the submitted version and record the next action shown in the portal. Respond to requests for corrections promptly and use the applicant identifier in correspondence. Do not assume that an institutional offer automatically completes a separate pre-consular process. The purpose of your tracker is to show which organisation is waiting for which action.

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06

Evaluate the offer and scholarship conditions

Read the offer’s academic conditions, deposit requirement and any language or registration steps. Compare the scholarship letter against the fee invoice: a stipend and a tuition waiver are different benefits, and each may come from a different organisation.

Write down the confirmed award duration, payment schedule, renewal rules and exclusions. Budget for the period before the first payment, especially the accommodation deposit and travel. Ask whether a scholarship may be combined with another award before counting both. If your funding remains incomplete, discuss alternatives before accepting a financial commitment you cannot meet.

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07

Prepare the visa evidence for your actual situation

Use France-Visas and the consular instructions for your place of application. The official student page directs applicants to the visa wizard for supporting documents. Keep the admission confirmation, financial evidence and accommodation information ready in the form requested.

France-Visas currently states a minimum monthly financial-evidence figure of €877.50 for student applications submitted from 1 August 2026. Verify the current rule again when applying; do not reuse an old social-media figure. Arrange the required appointment and identity checks. General guidance is not a visa guarantee, and a paid application-support package does not influence a consular decision.

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08

Plan accommodation and your first month

Use the university’s international office and official housing information as starting points. Ask for a written tenancy or residence agreement, total initial payment and cancellation conditions. Verify the recipient independently before transferring a deposit.

Build a first-month checklist covering travel, temporary accommodation if necessary, access to funds, insurance, campus registration and an emergency contact. Keep essential documents in hand luggage and a secure digital backup. Avoid making non-refundable arrangements on the assumption that a pending visa will certainly arrive by a particular date.

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09

Complete arrival formalities and protect the award

Read the conditions printed on your visa and the official arrival instructions. A VLS-TS must generally be validated online within three months of arrival; other visa wording can require a residence-permit application within a different period. Follow the route actually issued to you rather than copying another student’s checklist.

Complete institutional registration, required student-life formalities and course enrolment. Record the deadlines for academic progress reports, residence renewal and scholarship continuation. Keep award conditions accessible throughout the year. Contact the relevant office before changing your programme, interrupting study or accepting funding that may be incompatible with the scholarship.

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06 / KEEP EXPLORING

Scholarships for France.

8 programme profiles in the directory, with individual funding and timing notes.

Open
France

France Excellence Eiffel Scholarship

Living allowance and eligible mobility/insurance support; Eiffel itself does not pay tuition fees.

Partial fundingMaster’s / PhD
2027 institutional submissions close 8 January 2027. Universities set earlier internal deadlines; students cannot apply directly to Campus France. Sciences Po is not participating for 2027/28.
Reviewed · 2026-10-15Details
Open
France

Émile Boutmy Scholarship

Merit-based tuition support with degree-specific award levels.

Partial fundingBachelor’s / Master’s
Master’s rounds: 18 October and 29 November; foreign-secondary undergraduate applicants: 13 January 2027. Check the correct route.
Reviewed · 2026-10-15Details
Closed
France

Paris-Saclay International Master’s Scholarship

EUR10,000 for the academic year, with renewal conditions for two-year study.

Partial fundingMaster’s
The reviewed 2026 round closed 31 March 2026 after course-coordinator selection. A 2027 deadline is not confirmed here.
Reviewed · 2026-10-15Details
Upcoming
France

ENS International Selection Scholarship

EUR1,000 monthly for three years and access to a room on an ENS campus; verify any accommodation charges.

Partial fundingBachelor’s / Master’s
The 2027 call summary gives 16 October–15 December 2026, 14:00 Paris time. One lower-page table has inconsistent years; confirm the application portal before submitting.
Reviewed · 2026-10-15Details
See all 8 opportunities
07 / A LITTLE MORE CLARITY

Questions worth asking.

Can I submit an Eiffel application directly?

No. A French higher education institution submits the nomination. Ask the institution about its selection and earlier internal deadline.

Does Études en France replace the visa application?

No. The relevant admissions or pre-consular steps and the France-Visas process have different functions. Follow the official route for your situation.

Is the DAP deadline the deadline for every master’s?

No. DAP is a specific procedure. Other degrees and application routes have their own calendars.

Let’s work through your next step together.

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A source-linked planning guide, not individual immigration or legal advice. Admission, scholarship and immigration decisions are made independently by the relevant authorities. Recheck the official call for your nationality, course and intake.

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